New iPhone 5S Logic Board Shots Show Evidence of Fingerprint Scanner?

[jsnuff1]

It's been looking like a fingerprint scanner in the 5S is less and less likely, but the new logic board shots might shed new evidence that the fingerprint scanner will indeed make it in the new phone.

Normally the iPhone 5 home button is connected via a two pin connector which is shown on the right pic. This is a simple two pin contact connector that just relays the on/off state of the home button.

Looking at the same location in the new logic shot we see a 10 pin socket connector instead on the left pic. Now the only reason for this many pins is that something more advanced that carries data is connected to this socket. So this could be the fingerprint scanner that is integrated in the home button!

 

[McGiord]

Where you got those pictures??
Couldn't it be something else besides the fingerprint scanner??? I am not that interested in the fingerprint scanner, but into something else more useful.
I wonder...

 

[jsnuff1]

they are from the leaked 5S logic board pics MR posted earlier today.

It could be for something else, but it would most likely involve some major modification to the home button, since this new socket is in the place of where the old home button connector was...maybe another alternative to a fingerprint scanner could be that the home button is now touch sensitive?

 

[617aircav]

No way apple adds this and maintains same price points.

 

[Spetsnazos]

No way apple adds this and maintains same price points.

a fingerprint scanner can't cost that much...

 

[richardbb85]

a fingerprint scanner can't cost that much...

apple sells a $1 case for $30-40

 

[Mrbobb]

Can it be Apple moving away from 1-button to 3 buttons like, like... arrrrhhhh!

 

[Truefan31]

I'm more excited that it looks like a bigger battery

 

[Commy1]

Ooh that's interesting. Every bit counts in a small device like an iPhone, I wonder.

 

[Paskell]

Ooh that's interesting. Every bit counts in a small device like an iPhone, I wonder.

I agree fully with this I think they will remove the home button completely and have a bigger screen. At least I hope so I would like it to stay relatively the same width and hight as the 5 but I can see it being a tad wider if infant they make the screen bigger as Samsung did with the s3-s4

 

[cynics]

Do we have more pics? The contacts with the current home button are offset. It's not out of the realm of possibility that with a new logic board things are just moved a bit.

I think its quite the leap to assume fingerprint scanner in the home button based on this single pic. Which is why I'm curious if there are more.

 

[jsnuff1]

Do we have more pics? The contacts with the current home button are offset. It's not out of the realm of possibility that with a new logic board things are just moved a bit.

I think its quite the leap to assume fingerprint scanner in the home button based on this single pic. Which is why I'm curious if there are more.

Well im assuming a fingerprint scanner but it could be anything else. What im stating is that the connector for the home button went from a simple two pin contact connector to a 10 pin socket connector, therefore the home button will have some sort of additional functionality.

There is no way the 2 pin home button connector was moved around, as this is the only space where it can be in the current design, and from the logic board pic it has not been moved anywhere else.

 

[jsnuff1]

attached is the full image for reference. Left is the 5S right is 5.

 

[3rd Rock]

If this helps some...

 

[aaplexcelsior]

This connector bit is definitely the best evidence so far that there may in fact be a fingerprint sensor in this next phone. It's not clear to me that the software/ecosystem is really ready to take full advantage of it (I would have thought that the Passbook concept would be further along), but even if all it does is avoid the need for a passcode to get into the phone, I think a lot of people would appreciate it as a new feature, and it could be part of what differentiates the "5S" from the "mid-range" phone. A few more thoughts, some of which I think I've seen others wonder about, too:

- I've wondered whether all of the fall 2012 releases were to get the products on the same 'cycle' so that fingerprint could be rolled out simultaneously across the product lines.
- The sensor is probably not only good for fingerprints, but acts as a little trackpad, as others have noted. And as others have said, the new iOS 7 "edge" gestures would be replicable on the home button sensor:
swipe from top = notifications
swipe from bottom = control panel
swipe from left = unlock/fingerprint/back
swipe from right = ?
So that folks with the fingerprint sensor would have the option of either swiping their touch displays or swiping the home button for these gestures. It seems slightly redundant, but there is a bit of convenience, I suppose, in not having to reach for the top of the display (especially if they launch bigger phones eventually).
The iOS 7 unlock screen fits well with this theory, since having an actual button with a track like in previous iOS versions wouldn't make sense if swiping the home button also unlocked the phone. The "slide to unlock" language could apply to the screen or the button.
- I wonder how iCloud keychain fits with fingerprint. I used to think that the fingerprint would "unlock" passwords. But if this feature is available on non-fingerprint phones... (Should I feel comfortable saving all my passwords/credit cards on a phone secured only with a four digit pass code?)
- I also thought fingerprint would provide theft reduction. But it seems like they've "solved" that with activation lock.

 

[jarden1982]

I like the idea of a fingerprint scanner on the 5s. If that is what it is, that just made my buying decision that much easier.

----------

I like the idea of a fingerprint scanner on the 5s. If that is what it is, that just made my buying decision that much easier.

That, and the bigger battery, the increased 13 mp camera, ios 7.

 

[daijholt]

I'd love a fingerprint scanner on my iPhone, I hate using a pass code, it feels so outdated.

 

[Commy1]

I would appreciate a fingerprint scanner IF they somehow allowed phones to become like wallets.
e.g. Going into a grocery store, you walk up and down isles, putting whatever you need in a cart, a store device itself keeping track of what you have in the cart, it then contacts your iPhone and asks you to confirm your purchase as you walk out the door.
This technology is already out there, but taking a step further with the iPhone would be interesting. That's the only real reason I would want a fingerprint scanner, purely for security reasons. A passcode is enough for me and regular use. The iPhone will get more secure anyhow with the new iOS 7 and the Apple ID lock, a very good idea for theft reasons.
Or perhaps using your iPhone like PayPass. But you could use it much the same way with a simple case, pop you paypass debit card into a slot, swipe phone over the scanner and go.

 

[ray6712]

Looking at that pic I wholeheartedly agree that there's something definitely different with the home button there. I'm hoping the home button is capacitive though while also being clickable maybe a shallower click than what we have now. I'm thinking apple will knock this out of the park if they implement this correctly especially if they implement NFC.

If Apple implements NFC through the iPhone and sets this up with airdrop the possibilities are really endless for them

 

[ross1998]

I would appreciate a fingerprint scanner IF they somehow allowed phones to become like wallets.
e.g. Going into a grocery store, you walk up and down isles, putting whatever you need in a cart, a store device itself keeping track of what you have in the cart, it then contacts your iPhone and asks you to confirm your purchase as you walk out the door.
This technology is already out there, but taking a step further with the iPhone would be interesting. That's the only real reason I would want a fingerprint scanner, purely for security reasons. A passcode is enough for me and regular use. The iPhone will get more secure anyhow with the new iOS 7 and the Apple ID lock, a very good idea for theft reasons.
Or perhaps using your iPhone like PayPass. But you could use it much the same way with a simple case, pop you paypass debit card into a slot, swipe phone over the scanner and go.

That's about 10-20 years later, it will after the government releases the microchips

 

[lunaoso]

This connector bit is definitely the best evidence so far that there may in fact be a fingerprint sensor in this next phone. It's not clear to me that the software/ecosystem is really ready to take full advantage of it (I would have thought that the Passbook concept would be further along), but even if all it does is avoid the need for a passcode to get into the phone, I think a lot of people would appreciate it as a new feature, and it could be part of what differentiates the "5S" from the "mid-range" phone. A few more thoughts, some of which I think I've seen others wonder about, too:

- I've wondered whether all of the fall 2012 releases were to get the products on the same 'cycle' so that fingerprint could be rolled out simultaneously across the product lines.
- The sensor is probably not only good for fingerprints, but acts as a little trackpad, as others have noted. And as others have said, the new iOS 7 "edge" gestures would be replicable on the home button sensor:
swipe from top = notifications
swipe from bottom = control panel
swipe from left = unlock/fingerprint/back
swipe from right = ?
So that folks with the fingerprint sensor would have the option of either swiping their touch displays or swiping the home button for these gestures. It seems slightly redundant, but there is a bit of convenience, I suppose, in not having to reach for the top of the display (especially if they launch bigger phones eventually).
The iOS 7 unlock screen fits well with this theory, since having an actual button with a track like in previous iOS versions wouldn't make sense if swiping the home button also unlocked the phone. The "slide to unlock" language could apply to the screen or the button.
- I wonder how iCloud keychain fits with fingerprint. I used to think that the fingerprint would "unlock" passwords. But if this feature is available on non-fingerprint phones... (Should I feel comfortable saving all my passwords/credit cards on a phone secured only with a four digit pass code?)
- I also thought fingerprint would provide theft reduction. But it seems like they've "solved" that with activation lock.

Right and left for switching between apps (like the iPad)? I think that would be really cool.

 

[Defender2010]

The home button is just about the only thing that has not majorly changed since the first iPhone so it may get an amazing new change - would it be so hard to embed the scanner in the home button and make it glass and touch sensitive? Hopefully not! Doing away with the physical click would be great.

 

[TouchMint.com]

The home button is just about the only thing that has not majorly changed since the first iPhone so it may get an amazing new change - would it be so hard to embed the scanner in the home button and make it glass and touch sensitive? Hopefully not! Doing away with the physical click would be great.

It would be a nice little suprise!

I was kind of hoping that it would just be able to scan your finger print anywhere on the screen (im not a hardware guy so sorry if thats not possible).

 

[Commy1]

That's about 10-20 years later, it will after the government releases the microchips

Walmart is using this type of shopping right now though. I've never experienced it myself as I live in a small area but it does exist. Eliminating jobs hooray...